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Red states and blue states may like to point to one another as the source of all that is wrong with the U.S., but the truth is that each of the 50 states has its own virtues and vices. For example, Vermont has the worst drug use problem. And it certainly comes as no surprise that Nevada is the most gambling-addicted.

But the cost of state sins is something we have to share as a nation. Gambling alone costs the U.S. about $5 billion per year. That’s nothing compared to the amount of money we lose from smoking, though – over $300 billion per year. Harmful behavior on the individual level can add up to staggering economic costs on a national scale.

Some states are more well-behaved than others. In order to determine the states that most give in to their desires, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 38 key indicators of immorality. Our data set ranges from violent crimes per capita to excessive drinking to share of the population with gambling disorders. Read on to see the full ranking, insight from a panel of experts, and a full description of our methodology.

With Mardi Gas approaching and Louisiana set to be the center of plenty of drinking, drug use, and sex, WalletHub has also prepared a Mardi Gras Fun Facts infographic to go along with this report.

1. Main Findings
2. Red States vs. Blue States
3. Ask the Experts
4. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/46852/geochart-sin-states.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2ocwD0r>  

Most Sinful States in America

Overall Rank*	State	WalletHub Vice Index	‘Anger & Hatred’ Rank	‘Jealousy’ Rank	‘Excesses & Vices’ Rank	‘Greed’ Rank	‘Lust’ Rank	‘Vanity’ Rank	‘Laziness’ Rank
1	Florida	57.27	21	1	44	38	8	4	7
2	California	55.76	10	9	49	14	5	2	25
3	Nevada	53.51	30	5	20	1	14	29	1
4	Texas	52.14	19	7	42	43	1	7	27
5	Georgia	51.15	22	2	27	50	2	11	6
6	Tennessee	50.48	1	15	3	20	11	21	15
7	Illinois	49.40	13	19	24	30	13	6	22
8	Michigan	49.19	6	3	13	48	16	14	16
9	Arkansas	48.71	3	23	5	17	4	45	4
10	Louisiana	48.37	16	17	4	27	6	31	2
11	Alabama	48.27	9	14	9	33	7	33	5
12	Washington	47.85	31	11	36	7	34	10	29
13	Ohio	47.62	14	22	1	40	19	12	17
14	Arizona	47.59	20	10	33	26	15	19	13
15	New Jersey	46.93	24	34	48	8	32	3	21
16	Mississippi	46.75	5	27	16	21	3	49	3
17	Oklahoma	46.56	34	25	26	5	9	37	12
18	New Mexico	46.35	27	6	25	13	20	43	8
19	Missouri	46.16	17	8	11	23	17	22	26
20	New York	44.70	28	38	40	49	25	1	14
21	Pennsylvania	44.63	40	31	15	34	27	5	28
22	Kentucky	44.40	2	42	2	25	12	35	10
23	Virginia	44.07	32	28	37	19	24	9	31
24	Colorado	43.87	29	16	22	15	30	15	39
25	North Carolina	43.39	44	20	21	42	10	16	20
26	Maryland	43.31	36	12	17	47	21	13	30
27	South Carolina	43.14	7	13	18	46	18	26	11
28	Alaska	41.17	4	21	23	4	28	38	40
29	West Virginia	40.44	18	43	7	3	26	50	9
30	Delaware	39.79	26	4	14	36	39	39	24
31	Oregon	39.54	8	18	19	37	41	25	18
32	Indiana	39.12	23	32	8	45	23	23	23
33	Massachusetts	38.03	35	35	30	22	45	8	38
34	Montana	37.99	12	36	34	2	36	48	37
35	Hawaii	37.09	50	37	28	10	22	27	33
36	Kansas	34.45	38	29	38	31	29	32	36
37	Minnesota	34.26	47	33	47	28	38	18	42
38	Connecticut	34.00	42	24	45	35	47	17	35
39	Rhode Island	32.97	45	26	12	32	48	34	19
40	Wisconsin	32.21	41	41	32	41	33	20	41
41	South Dakota	31.84	11	49	43	11	35	47	48
42	Nebraska	31.01	37	39	35	16	40	36	43
43	Idaho	30.41	15	44	41	24	42	42	32
44	New Hampshire	29.99	43	40	6	6	49	28	50
45	Wyoming	29.93	33	45	31	39	31	44	34
46	Iowa	29.27	49	47	46	18	37	30	47
47	Utah	28.64	46	30	50	44	44	24	44
48	Maine	28.09	39	46	10	29	46	41	45
49	North Dakota	27.14	48	48	39	12	43	40	49
50	Vermont	25.62	25	50	29	9	50	46	46

*No. 1 = Most Sinful

 

Red States vs. Blue States

 

Ask the Experts

It’s not enough just to know where certain problems lie. The important next step is figuring out how to fix them and improve each state’s quality of life. For advice on how to reverse some of these bad trends, we asked the following questions to a panel of experts:

1. What makes some states more sinful than others? Laws? Culture?
2. Should sport betting be legalized across the U.S. by the Federal Government? What are the pros and cons of such a move?
3. What are the most efficient measures that federal and state authorities can use to curb the obesity epidemic? Is something like the “soda tax” a valid approach?
4. Given that US hate crimes are on the rise for second straight year, what can be done to reverse this uptick?
5. How can federal authorities combat human trafficking? Is legalizing prostitution a good idea?

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• Mark Osler Professor and Robert and Marion Short Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of St. Thomas
• Siddharth Kara Adjunct Lecturer on Public Policy and Senior Fellow on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
• Kristie R. Blevins Associate Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University
• Jill McCracken Associate Professor of Verbal and Visual Arts at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Mark Osler Professor and Robert and Marion Short Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of St. Thomas

What makes some states more sinful than others? Laws? Culture?

If you mean “sins” like drinking, gambling, etc., history and culture define outcomes, and law follows that. In Utah, the history and culture are highly moralistic in regard to those things, so people are both disinclined to do them and they create laws that support that view.

Should sport betting be legalized across the U.S. by the federal government? What are the pros and cons of such move?

The federal government doesn’t have the ability to legalize sports betting nationally, because some states will outlaw it and I don’t see how that restriction would be unconstitutional. States have a strong incentive to oppose sports betting -- lotteries.

What are the most efficient measures that federal and state authorities can utilize to curb the obesity epidemic? Is something like the “soda tax” a valid approach?

Oddly, those who oppose a soda tax on “freedom” grounds usually want to tax legal marijuana (or keep it illegal). Yet both are pretty clearly bad for you over the long term.

How can federal authorities combat human trafficking? Is legalizing prostitution a good idea?

To combat human trafficking, authorities need to analyze the business model of human trafficking, then attack the weak point, whether it be logistics, cash flow, or labor. As with other crimes that are essentially businesses (i.e., narcotics), our biggest mistake is not beginning by analyzing that business, then endeavoring to close it down.

Siddharth Kara Adjunct Lecturer on Public Policy and Senior Fellow on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School

How can federal authorities combat human trafficking? Is legalizing prostitution a good idea?

The federal government does a great deal to combat human trafficking, but much more needs to be done if we are going to make a meaningful dent in this crime. First and foremost, more resources need to be allocated towards all aspects of the offense -- for research, law enforcement investigations, judicial training, prevention, and re-empowerment efforts, to name a few. The "Trafficking Victims Protection Act" should also be reauthorized (reauthorization has been pending for over a year now). Promoting safer migration channels would also assist with addressing human trafficking. With regards to sex trafficking, legalization of prostitution would only make matters worse.

Where prostitution is legalized, researchers and NGOs tend to see even more women and children trafficked into forced prostitution, as the exploiters are protected by a veneer of legitimacy. Adoption of the "Nordic Model," that is, criminalizing the purchase of commercial sex and decriminalizing prostitution -- which serves the purpose of focusing on and punishing the demand of males to purchase women and children for sex -- would provide the optimal policy approach towards addressing sex trafficking.

Kristie R. Blevins Associate Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University

What makes some states more sinful than others? Laws? Culture?

I think it depends on how you define “sinful.” I am not an expert in the area of divine law, but, anecdotally, there are “sins” from that perspective that are not violations under the modern legal system in most U.S. jurisdictions. But even if you define “sins” generally as something like “behavior that is against the rules” or “acts that are not morally acceptable,” it seems as though each society (and/or its leaders) is responsible for what behaviors are deemed good or bad within the jurisdiction. Over time, governmental officials, hopefully with the input of the general population, shape the culture by determining what is right or wrong, and ultimately enacting (or retracting) laws that reflect those beliefs. There are many different measures available for various types of law violations. I’m sure there are studies of the extent of certain types of immoral, but not illegal, behaviors as well, but those are outside my scope of work.

Should sport betting be legalized across the U.S. by the federal government? What are the pros and cons of such move?

Legalizing something rarely means that every instance of that action is legal. For example, activities such as gambling, recreational or medicinal marijuana use, and prostitution are legal in some jurisdictions, but they are legal under regulations that define very specific rules and conditions that must be met; if the regulations are not followed, the act is illegal. So, there is still a black market for marijuana in states that have legalized it, and individuals engaging in prostitution or gambling outside of the specified guidelines are committing a crime.

Outside of the federal government, jurisdictional decisions may affect surrounding jurisdictions. For example, studies have shown significant increases in the number of arrests for marijuana possession in border counties of states adjoining those that have legalized medicinal and/or recreational marijuana use.

Jill McCracken Associate Professor of Verbal and Visual Arts at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg

What makes some states more sinful than others? Laws? Culture?

"Sin" is a relative term, which obviously contributes to one's understanding of what makes something "sinful." Things others might consider sinful I might take pride in. So, the question almost borders on meaningless. Sin is typically associated with a Christian moral code, that clearly defines what is and is not allowed. I do not subscribe to that world view, nor do I think it is helpful. But in general, laws, culture, religion, and worldviews contribute to what is deemed sinful and what is not, what is allowed and what is punishable, what is stigmatized and what is acceptable.

A more interesting question to me is how does the categorization of sin serve some individuals over others? For instance, if I subscribe to a certain worldview or value system, and I define hate crimes as "sinful," how does that change the concept of both hate crimes and sin? How does calling it a sin impact the act itself? I think many people categorize actions as "sinful" in order to have them achieve greater power, according to a divine framework, than they would in stating that this act is "wrong" or "unethical."

I tend to subscribe to a process philosophy viewpoint, which tends to define "sin" as "missing the mark." And < ahref=https://processandfaith.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/what-is-process-theology.pdf>according to Marjorie Suchoki, "What is the mark? The mark would be the fullest development of what we can be, individually and communally, in expanding circles of caring to God, self, and neighbor" (“What is PROCESS Theology?”). More in line with my thinking is her explanation: "Still another way of talking about sin is to say it is unnecessary violence." I would agree. If there is a value in using the term "sin," it would be only to emphasize the depth of the wrongdoing to self or others.

Given that US hate crimes are on the rise for second straight year, what can be done to reverse this uptick?

When we live in a culture of hate and lack of acceptance of people who may be perceived as “different” from us, hate crimes increase. It is not a surprise to me at all that hate crimes have increased since President Trump has been in office. Trump espoused much hate during his campaign against multiple and varied groups of people. Because he is the President of the United States, it sends a message that those kinds of behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives are acceptable.

What can be done to reverse this trend? First, we need to get comfortable with difference. We need to work together to stop thinking about how we are separate and different from another, and consider how we are the same. Secondly, we need to get comfortable with being in discomfort. What does that mean? It is hard to talk about difference, and many times, people are afraid to discuss areas that are unfamiliar or are topics of fundamental difference (such as race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, age, etc.), and this fear can exacerbate the division. If we can create and nurture a culture that makes space for difficult conversations and supports people in their discomfort, then we have more opportunities to discuss and express fears, desires, weakness, and anger.

Much of our “hate” is in response to anger, which is a response to fear. In order to come to understand someone who is different from me, it requires that I make space for ideas or practices that are unfamiliar, and perhaps even threatening to me. It doesn’t require that I change my beliefs or actions, but it does require that I make space for theirs. What would it be like if we were encouraged to step into discomfort and hold it for a bit so that we could learn more about what it can teach us? What if, through this discomfort, we cultivate a culture of curiosity? For example, we might ask: What does it mean to look and act in ways that may be unfamiliar to us? What can I learn from that person’s experience? What does it teach me about myself? Where can I find myself in the other?

And finally, we need develop empathy, as well as a culture of empathy. And we need to be able to reach out to others and find comfort before we isolate to an extent that we can no longer see the other as human, as a person of worth and value, even if they are different from me. Each person is a human and feels pain, fear, anger and love much as I do. What I do to them could easily be done to me. What do we gain from this violence? Increased separation from self and others. Rather, let’s get comfortable with difference and discomfort. These feelings won’t harm us physically. We won’t die from feeling them. It isn’t easy, but it is possible. And then, curiosity and empathy are not so far behind.

How can federal authorities combat human trafficking? Is legalizing prostitution a good idea?

It will take much more than federal authorities to combat human trafficking. The language there is part of the problem. We see trafficking as something we need to “combat” or “go to war against.” And yes, it is reprehensible and should be ended, but the war analogy doesn’t work. As we know, the U.S. often goes to war against behaviors it wants to end (crime, drugs, prostitution, to name a few), and it does not work. This analogy ignores the systemic causes of trafficking, and if it does not address the roots, it will continually be a war -- one that never ends.

So, in response to this issue, legalization? No, I would not advocate for legalizing prostitution. Legalization is when the federal government makes an action that was previously illegal permissible by law, and it is regulated by that same entity.

What I would recommend first and foremost is to listen to sex workers (people engaged in exchanges of sexual pleasure for monetary or other gain). Sex workers must be at the forefront of policymaking to address the complexities involved in consensual prostitution and trafficking in the sex industry. If we really want to stop trafficking, we will learn to understand the differences between trafficking in the sex industry and consensual sex work. They are different. Rather than ignoring the voices of sex workers, we will look to these communities to lead the conversations and the work.

That includes funding for sex-worker led research in order to better understand the intersectional challenges sex workers face, as well as the benefits they experience from their work. They must be paid for their expertise and their voices valued in addressing these complex systemic and transnational problems. Researchers have found that these problems are best explored and decreased through community empowerment approaches, where sex workers take collective ownership of a program to address social and structural barriers to their health and human rights.

In "The Lancet HIV and Sex Worker" series, Kerrigan et al. find “sex-worker organizations have developed innovative and effective strategies to address the multi-level challenges they face in the implementation of community empowerment initiatives to promote their health and human rights.” The authors call for increased financial and political support of these efforts by SW organizations, as well as for a strengthened and diversified evidence base for community empowerment in sex workers. This process requires non-sex workers to listen to sex workers and to support that work with resources.

As opposed to legalization, many sex workers and international sex worker-led organizations argue for decriminalization of prostitution (< a href= http://www.nswp.org/>Global Network of Sex Work Projects, the International Union of Sex Workers, and Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, to name a few).

After initiating a consultation to develop a policy to protect the human rights of sex workers, Amnesty International took a position in favor of decriminalizing prostitution because they found violence, risk of HIV, and trafficking in the sex industry are all exacerbated within criminalized environments. As they state:

“As a global human rights organization, Amnesty International has a responsibility to assess how best to prevent human rights violations. As such, it is right and fitting that we should look at one of the most disadvantaged groups of people in the world, often forced to live outside the law and denied their most basic human rights: sex workers.

We have chosen to advocate for the decriminalization of all aspects of consensual adult sex work that does not involve coercion, exploitation or abuse. This is based on evidence and the real-life experience of sex workers themselves that criminalization makes them less safe.”

Criminalization ultimately makes it harder to leave the sex industry. If you have prostitution charges, it is increasingly difficult to locate housing and employment. The criminal record people have from engaging in prostitution often limits their choices and further entrenches them in illegal industries. Ultimately, criminalization does not solve the problem. And makes it worse.

There are multiple experts out there you can listen to. I encourage you to better understand sex worker rights and explore the relationships between violence and criminalization. You may think that engaging in sex work is immoral or wrong, even sinful, and that’s alright. But if you care about individual human lives, it is imperative to examine the bigger picture and the impact criminalization of prostitution has on the lives of so many.

Methodology

In order to determine the most sinful states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across seven key dimensions: 1) Anger & Hatred, 2) Jealousy, 3) Excesses & Vices, 4) Greed, 5) Lust, 6) Vanity and 7) Laziness.

We examined those dimensions using 38 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of sinfulness. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.

Finally, we calculated the overall score, or WalletHub Vice Index, for each state based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities.

Anger & Hatred – Total Points: 14.3

• Violent Crimes per Capita: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Sex Offenders per Capita: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Bullying Rate: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Hate Groups per Capita: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Share of Maltreated Adults: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)Notes: This metric measures the prevalence of rape, physical abuse and or stalking (emotional abuse) among men and women by an intimate partner.
• Share of Maltreated Children: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)Notes: This metric measures the prevalence of physical, psychological or sexual abuse and maltreatment among children.
• Share of Internet Comments that are Hostile: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Discrimination Cases Filed as % of US Total Charges: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Number of Mass Shootings: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Share of Elder-Abuse, Gross-Neglect and Exploitation Complaints: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Jealousy – Total Points: 14.3

• Thefts per Capita: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
• Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
• Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)

Excesses & Vices – Total Points: 14.3

• Share of Obese Adults: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
• Fast-Food Establishments per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
• Excessive Drinking: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)Note: This metric measures the age-adjusted prevalence of binge and heavy drinking among the adult population.
• Share of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
• Share of Adult Coffee Drinkers: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who drank ready-to-drink coffee in the past six months.
• Share of Population Using Marijuana: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of residents aged 12 and older who used marijuana in the past month.
• Retail Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed per 100 Persons: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
• Drug Overdose Deaths: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of deaths due to drug poisoning per 100,000 residents.
• Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)

Greed – Total Points: 14.3

• Casinos per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
• Charitable Donations as Share of Income: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
• Share of Population with Gambling Disorders: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)

Lust – Total Points: 14.3

• Teen Birth Rate: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of births per 1,000 female residents aged 15 to 19.
• Google Search Interest Index for “XXX Entertainment”: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)Note: This metric measures search interest for “XXX”, “Gentlemen's Club”, “Striptease”, “Red Light District”, “call escort” and “porn”.
• Average Time Spent on Adult Entertainment Sites: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)

Vanity – Total Points: 14.3

• Beauty Salons per Capita*: Full Weight (~5.72 Points)
• Google Search Interest Index for “Top 5 Plastic Surgeries”: Full Weight (~5.72 Points)Note: This metric measures search interest for the five most common plastic surgery procedures (breast augmentation, liposuction, rhynoplasty, eyelid surgery and facelift) as a share of the national average.
• Consumer Expenditures per Household on Personal Care Products and Services: Half Weight (~2.86 Points)

Laziness – Total Points: 14.3

• Share of Adults Not Exercising: Full Weight (~2.60 Points)
• Average Weekly Hours Worked: Full Weight (~2.60 Points)
• Volunteer Rate: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Average Daily Time Spent Watching TV: Full Weight (~2.60 Points)
• High School Dropout Rate: Full Weight (~2.60 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted by the poverty rate.
• Share of Disconnected Youth: Full Weight (~2.60 Points)Note: “Disconnected Youth” refers to the population aged 18 to 24 who are not attending school, not working and have no degree beyond a high school diploma.

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Trade Commission, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, TransUnion, National Council on Problem Gambling, Corporation for National and Community Service, Esri's Updated Demographics (2017 estimates), Parents For Megan's Law Inc., The Crime Victims Center, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Wired, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Gun Violence Archive, Administration for Community Living - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Fraser Institute, PornHub, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Center of Education Statistics, The Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

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